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BRONZE FOR TEAM MOUAT AT THEIR FIRST WORLD CHAMPS

Posted on 8 April 2018

Scotland’s Team Mouat claimed the medal their superb week’s curling had thoroughly deserved, when they roared past their Korean opponents in the bronze medal match at the 361°World Men’s Championships in Las Vegas.

It was their twelfth win in the fourteen matches they had played their only defeats coming at the hands of world number one Team Edin from Sweden in the round robin stages and defending champions Team Gushue from Canada, whom the Scots had previously defeated in their opening match.

“It kind of feels right. I think we had a really good week and we really stuck in after a tough loss (in the semi final) yesterday. Yeah, it feels really good to come away with a medal,” he said.

Facing Team Kim, whom they had beaten in three previous finals on the tour this season, they took control of the match at the third end after having lost a two at the second to fall behind.

The Koreans never recovered from the three they lost there, going on to concede steals of two and four at the next two ends as the Scots piled on the pressure to have the match wrapped up as they lead 10-2 at the mid-way interval.

“He played a really great shot at the third end to hit and roll under us when he was under some pressure, so I just had to play to the tight weight to make sure we got his yellow stone out of the house,” Mouat said of that third end turning point.

“Both our boys had a great sweep and Hammy (McMillan) managed to curl it and make it go out enough, so it was brilliant.”

It was Scotland’s first medal at a Men’s World Championship for five years and Mouat was proud to join men he has grown up playing against on that honours list, including David Murdoch who was on his coaching team this week.

“This is really special for me. Obviously I grew up watching David Murdoch achieving a lot and recently it has been Tom Brewster so it is class to be amongst that field,” said Mouat.

Having formed this line up only last summer and gone on to make history when they became the first Scottish men to win a Grand Slam tournament in Canada, when he also became the youngest skip of any nationality to do so, Mouat paid tribute to colleagues McMillan, Bobbie Lammie and Grant Hardie.

“All of us have played really well and a special shout out to Bobbie who was still young enough to have played juniors this year and yet he made the World Championships All Star Team. That is amazing for him and Hammy was about 0.2 per cent off getting into that All Star team, while Grant has just had a class week as well. So, I am really proud of them all.”

In a repeat of last year’s final, Sweden played Canada in the gold medal match at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, however it was a reversal of fortunes this time around. Defending champions Team Gushue had to settle for silver as Niklas Edin’s European Champions and Olympic silver medallists powered to a 7-3 victory to take home gold for Sweden.